Schuster School - Proscenium Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 36 text:

1J4 MISS BRICE AS QUEEN ELIZABETH Page Lhirty-four

Page 35 text:

Spreading the News or The Promptefs Voice E might say, by way of explanation, that Spreading the News was written by one Lady Gregory, and was intended to be a clever comedy. We tell you this, you noble people of understanding who might have seen said performance, for fear you might be thinking it was a Hindu problem tragedy. Would it had been! and all the bad actors had been killed, never to play again. In our haste we almost forgot to tell you, iiclear readers, that the comedy Was pre- sented by the Schuster Players a or Slayers; isn't it strange we never can think which I Things are never all bad, so now we will relate the qualities of our actors. A young woman, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, in the part of Mrs. Fallon, created a riotain the dressing room. Never having played before, of course she knew all there was to know about stage make-up. 0, such a get-up for a character part! But we think she learned her lesson. Chief among the other actors was a trick basket, the central Figure in the play. Said basket refused to be upset, on which circumstance part, or most. of the plot hinged. We, too, would have refused to be upset by such a company. How the actors did sputter and gurgle their lines, the prompter's voice ring- ing out above these feeble efforts like a peal of thunder! Then came a great silence, but even at that the audience remained charmed. A few of the actors knew their parts and the parts of some others, but no matter how good they might have been under different circumstances, their work was lost in the general confusion. The bad ones we will say little about. Let all rest. But take it all in all, it was such a performance as had never been seen in the Little Playhouse before, and by the grace 0, God, such an one shall never be seen there again. The rest of the program that night of the sixteenth of March was in keeping with the play. But let all go down forever in the dead and buried past. Our mood is passing, and we grow kincl. Rest ye in peace, ye destroyers of Irish comedy. - The Prune, the Allen Dale of Punkville. Page thirly-three

Page 37 text:

cUThe Dark Lady of the Sonnetsia tSecond Performancei LOW, blow, thou winter wind, must have been the injunction of the Weather Man the night of December 15, when those Who were to perform before a large and distinguished audience with four real critics present foregathered on the stage and endeavored to keep their teeth from chattering long enough to denounce the weather in all the languages at their command. Was it cold? They felt more like Arctic explorers than actors. The programs stated that the performance would begin at eight o'clock, but eight oiclock had come and gone, eight-Efteen had joined the lost moments of the pastw-and still no audience. Eight-twenty! The front door woke echoes through the empty hall. Someone at last. Will Shakespeare appeared with his hat on backwards, his green legs trembling --- he tried to keep his knees from knocking together but even though his spare green figure was enveloped in his crimson-lined cape, his shivering was pitiful to behold. Queen Elizabeth labored up the steps, her jewels clicking against each one, wondering if she could see her breath solidify on the stage as well as she had in the dressing room. Where's the audience? she Chattereci, looking at Rollo, to whom she had to make love in the next sketch, and wondering what he stuck his beau-catcher down with. The Beef Eater was pacing back and forth. He had no ruff e though to be sure a ruff is little protection - and since the lace had been taken from his sleeves, his wrists were chapping. Mr. and Mrs. Audience are out there, he remarked bitterly, Hbut they arenit sitting together. Page thirty-five